Loose-leaf binder



Patented ar. Z5, 1924.

i fai i T LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed December 14, 1922. Serial No. 606,828.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, CHARLES R. HADLnr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Loose-Leaf Binder, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a loose leaf binder of the type employingmeans to engage notches in the edges of the loose leaves for the purposeof holding said leaves against shifting in the binder. The inventionrelates more particularly to that type of binder employed in machinebook-keeping; in other words to binders in which any of the leaves maybe offset from the remainder to denote that the accounts on said offsetleaves have been posted, or for any other purpose.

An object of the invention is tor provide for locking the oset leaves inoffset position.

Another object is to accomplish the foregoing by a comparatively simpleconstruction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a binder constructed in accordancewith the provisions of this invention, some of the leaves being shownoffset from the remainder.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the binder leaves.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation on the line indicated by 33,Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken plan view, partly in section, from the lineindicated by 4 4, Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the irregular line indicated by 5 5,Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line indicated by 6--6, Figure 4.

The covers of the binders are indicated in the drawings at 11, 12,respectively. Said covers, if desired, may be formed of hingedlyconnected sections, the hinges being indicated at 13 and not beingillustrated in detail, since such construction is old in this art. Thebinding strips of the. covers 11, 12 are indicated at 14, 15,respectively and they serve to clamp the loose leaves 16 between theiradjacent faces. The binding strips 14, 15 may be releasably held inleaf-clamping position by any suitable means, as, for example, themovably mounted posts 17, 18. The post 17 is pivoted as indicated at 19.The construction of the post 17 is well understood in this art, the samehaving been the subject-matter of Letters Patent No. 1,301,085, grantedto me April 15, 1919, and it is to be understood that any other suitableclamping means may be substituted for the post 17.

The pivot of the post 18 is indicated at 2() and on said post is a nut21 adapted to bear upon the upper face of the binding strip 15 when thepost is in clamping position within a slot 22 in the end of the clampingstrip 15. The lower end of the post 18 constitutes an eccentric or cam23 adapted to bear against one end of a longitudinally shiftable member24 which is mounted in a slot or way 25 foi-med in a block 26 thatconstitutes a portion ofthe binding strip 14. The block 26 is providedat one end with a head 27 which supports the pivot 20. The member 24 isyieldingly held in engagement with the eccentric 23 by a coil spring orsprings 28. One end of each spring 28 seats in a socket 29 in the member24 and the other end of each of said springs seats in a socket 30 in theblock 26.

Screw-threaded at 31, or otherwise mounted on the member 24, areleaf-engaging means, in this instance comprising a post 32 whichprojects through a slot 33 in the binder strip 14 and through a slot 34in the binder strip 15. When the post 18 is swung to open position, asin Figures 4 and 5, the post 32 is moved to the right by reason ofexpansion of the springs 28, and when the post 18 is moved from the openposition to the closed position shown in Figure 3, said post 32 is movedto the left, compressing said springs.

The binder leaves 16 are each provided in their longitudinal marginswith straight notches 35 and with angular or L-shaped notches 36, itbeing understood that one notch 36 in each leaf is sufficient and thatthe two are provided so that the leaves can be reversed in the binder,if desired. The leaves 16 are also provided in their end margins withnotches 37. When the leaf is in. position in the binder with one of thenotches 37 engaging the post 17 the other notch 37 will be in positionto be engaged 'by the post 32 when the post 18 is in closed position, asin Figure 3. rihe leaf thus locked will be held against edgewisemovement in any direction, thus preventing it from slipping out ofplace. When it is desired to shift the leaf to the offset position, thepost 18 will be in the open position shown in Figures a and 5, the notch37 that previously was 4engaged by the post 32 will be engaged by thepost 18, and one of the angular notches 36 will then be engaged by thepost 32.

To lock the leaf in the offset position, the post 18 will be closed,thus moving the post 32 into the offset or longitudinally extendingportion 38 of the notch 36, said offset portion being alined with thenotches 37. It will be clear that the notches 35 engage a stationarypost 39 which is mounted in the binding strip 14 and projects through ahole 40 in the binding strip 15. The post 39 is positioned midwaybetween the posts 17, 18, and the notches 35, 36 are placed atequidistant intervals so that the appropriate notches will properlyengage the posts 39, 32, whether the leaves be in position to engage theposts 17, 32 or be odset so as to engage the post 18. The operation ofthe binder will be understood from the foregoing description, since, inorder to remove the cover 13, it is only necessary to swing the posts17, 18 into open position.

I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, means to clamp thecovers upon loose leaves therebetween, means adapted to engage innotches in the leaves, and means operatable byV movement of a portion ofthe clamping means to effect movement of the notch-engaging means.

2. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, movable clampingmeans adjacent one edge of the covers to clamp the covers upon looseleaves therebetween, means adapted to engage in notches in the leaves,and

means operatable by said clamping means to effect movement of thenotch-engaging IIIGLBS.

3. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, means operable toengage and prevent edgewise movement Vof loose leaves placed between thecovers, and means movably mounted on one of the covers operatable tomove the leaf-engaging means to and from leaf-engaging position.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, means operable toengage and prevent edgewise movement of loose leaves placed between thecovers, and means movably mounted on one of the covers operatable toclamp the covers upon the leaves and to move the leaf-engaging means toand from leaf-engaging position.

5. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, a member shiftableinto positions toengage and disengage notches in the longitudinalmargins of leaves placed between the covers, and means to shift saidmember into the different positions.

6. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, and a membershiftable into positions to engage and disengage the longitudinallyextending portion of L-shaped notches in the longitudinal margins ofleaves placed between the covers.

7 In a loose leaf binder, the combination of covers, a member shiftableinto positions to engage and disengage the longitudinally extendingportion o'f L-shaped notches in the longitudinal margins of leavesplaced betweenthe covers, and means to shift said member into thedifferent positions.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 7th day of December, 1922.

CHARLES R. HADLEY.

